Full automatic centrifugal extractor machine



A 9 J. J. NEUMAN 2,328,396

FULL AUTOMATIC CENTRIFUGAL EXTRAC'I'OR MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 14, 1958 'I/lIIIIII/lllllllll 311mm. Jzzcob J Mama n Patented Aug. 31,: 1943 FULL AUTOMATIC onN'rnmnGAL ExrrnAoronMacnmE e 1 JacoblJaNeuman, sout h 's alem, i originalapplication' December. 14,1938,, Serial t Divided and this application De- 1 -01mm. (GUM-1 3 The present invention relates to full autornatic centrifugal extractor machines, and more particularly to a centrifugal used for separation of liquids from a magma consisting of a mixture of liquors and crystals of sugar,j salt or the like.

It is a primary object, of this invention to add certain improvements and new, features to the automatic centrifugal extractor controls, apparatus and other equipment disclosed in my patents: 1 No. 17,378; 1,921,446; 1,922,629; 1,939,183; 1,946,725; 2,077,053; 2,090,373 andcopending applications Serial No. 135,879, filed April 9, 1937; Serial No.1 64,1l5,filed September 16, 1937; Serial No. 229,084, filed Sept. 9, 1938; such improvements and additions being mainly for the purposeof raising emciency and reducing supervisory duties by providing safeguards to production quality-and operating efliciency, f

The invention consistsof a device for controlling a feedingvalvebiased to close comprising a cylinder, apiston in the cylinder, an operating connection between the piston and the valve, means for introducing operating fluid into 'an 'end of the cylinder to move the "piston to open the valve, means for stopping the flowof operating fluid to the cylinder when the valve reaches a predetermined open position, said cylinder hav ing a port near the fluid lntroducingend to permit gradual escape of fluid whereby thepiston returns by the force of the bias of the valve to a position where it covers said port allowing the valve to close partially, so that a wide opening is presented initially and the opening is thereafter restricted partially, themeans for stopping the flow of operating fluid having a valve with ,a, small opening therethrough of less area than the port in said cylinder whereby to compensate for fluid loss and to hold the piston in the region of said port.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will become apparent from the following drawing .and description the present invention will be more specifically pointed out and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claim, it being un: derstood that only such parts of the control means disclosed in my above identified prior patents and copending applications which directly relate to the present invention, are herein illustrated. l 3

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of a full automatic centrifugal extractor machine showing the apparatus for performing the various functions of charging, acceleration, application of wash water, separation of extracted liquor, deceleration and discharging.

1 Figure 2 is a detailed section of the air valve forcontrolling the charging of the extractor."

' Referring tothe drawing there 'is shown, in Figure l, a centrifugal extractor machine of the type commonly employed in separating liquids from a mixture of crystals and liquors commonly called a magma. A casing encloses a perforated metal cylinder 2| with inturned flangesat boththe top and bottom, and mountedon a shaft 22 journalled at its upper end in the bearing 23 supported by the. bracket 24 from the mixer tank 25 and adapted to be rotated by the motor 26 through the pulleys 21', Hand the belt 29. The

pipe or spout 30 leads from the, mixer tank 25 to thebasket 2| for the purpose of, charging said basket 2] 'withthe fill mass or magma andhas thegate 3| for controlling the flow therefrom.

The gate 3| is adapted tobe raised to open posi tion by the upwardly extending rod 32 with fluid pressure'such as compressed an applied to the piston 33 in thecylinder 34 above the tank 25 and to closeby gravity when said fluid pressure is exhausted therefrom. The admission and. ex-

haust offfluid pressure to the cylinder is controlled by theelectrically operated valve 36. The

operation and circuits for this are fully described,

7 in my Patent No. 2,090,373, it being suflicient to iii A! in.)

say here that when the controller panel 35 (lower right corner in Fig. 1) regulates the motor 26 to the proper speed for the charging operation a switch associated with said panel 35 operates to open the valve 35 and admits air to the cylinder l i 34. When the charge in the basket 2| builds up to the proper thickness on the walls thereof the finger 31 is turned to such position by the wall of fill mass that a switch in the box 38 is opened and the valve 36 shuts oil the supply of air and allows the cylinder 34 to exhaust and close the gate 3|.

Similarly as in the disclosure of Patent No. 2,090,373, there is a valve 39 interposed in the; air supply pipe 40 to the valve 36 which is operated by the inter-connecting springs 4| to the gate operating rod 32 to control the initial height to which the gate rod 32 is raised by shutting off the air supply. It is advantageous first to open the gate 3|, wide to assure a good flow of magma and to clear the spout 30 of any hardened accumulations. Howevenas soon as the flow becomes free the opening should be reduced is provided partway up the side of the cylinder 34. This allows the air to escape from the cylinder 34 until the port 42 is covered by the piston 33 the same as in my former patent. Theoretically the gate 3| should now remain in this position until the valve 36 acts to exhaust the remaining air from the cylinder 34. However, in practice it has been found that although when the equipment is new this will operatesatisfactorily in this manner, when the piston 33 and cylinder 34 or the valve 36 become Worn additional air will escape and the gate will close fur -v ther allowing the springs 4| to open the valve 39 again with the result that the gate'3l is once more opened wide. If this occurs just before the basket 2| is nearly full it will receive anrovercharge or be caused to receive an uneven charge making it spin ofi center. The vvalve 39 has therefore been somewhat changed incon struction as will be seen by referring to Figure 2.

The plunger 43 thereof has the small ho1e'4 4"- drilled down its center which as is evident 'will allow .a small amount of airto pass through the valveveven when the disc 45 of the plunger is tightly seated. This holeshouldbe of sufficient size tosupply any except a serious leakage of the IQiStOn 33. The port 42 must be sufficiently large so that air will escape more quickly from the cylinder 3.4 than it is supplied'by the hole 44 ofthe valve 39 in order to allow the piston 33 ,to settle after the initial opening thereof. As

soon as it settles down to'theport 42 it can settle no further dueto the constant supply of air through the hole 4.4 of the valve 39,

Theobjection in the method disclosed in my Patent N 0. 2,090,373 is thus seen tobe that while the said former patent theport 42 was depended upon to allow thepiston'33 to settle and, when the port .was covered by the piston .33, to maintain it at this position by the air remaining below it in the cylinder 24, this does not happen if air escapes past the piston 33 'or around the rod 32 where it enters the cylinder 34 but the piston 33 will continue to settle'even though this leakage be very small. With the present immovement the air allowed to enter the cylinder 34 by means of the hole 44 in the plunger 43 of the valve 39 offsets any leakage which might occur due to wear and the piston 33 must always settle back to the same position regardless of such leakage or variation in supply pressure. Maintenance costs and lost time due to shut downs for repairs or overhauling of equipment are thus reduced to a minimum.sinceparts need not be replaced until they become verybadly worn.

This is'a divisional application of my patent application, Ser. No. 245,790, filed December 14,

It isobvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the'spirit thereof, such changes and modifieations being restricted only by the scope of the following claim. 7

What is claimed is:

In a device for controlling a feeding valve hi I ased to close in an automatic charging device of centrifugal machines, the combination of a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, an operating connection between the piston and the feeding valve, means forintroducing operating fluid into .an end of the cylinder to move the piston to entirely open the feeding valve,.and means for stopping. the flow of operating fluid to the cylinder when-the valve reaches a predetermined position, said cylinder'having a port near the fluid introducing-end to permit gradual escape of fluid whereby the piston returns to a position where it covers-said port allowing the feeding valve to close lpartially, so that a wide opening of the feeding valve is presented initially and the opening is thereafter restricted partially, Withmeans comprising a valve with a small opening therethrough of less area than the port in said cylinder in said means for stopplngthe flow of operating fluid, whereby .to compensate for fluid loss in the cylinder and to hold the piston in the region of said port to maintain the feeding valve in its restricted open position. l

I JACOB J, NEUMAN. 

